The model of Peace House Shelter: connection & support for victims of gender-based violence
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The Peace House Shelter aims at providing timely, urgent, and comprehensive support of knowledge, skills, and justification for victims, helping them to restore their physical and mental health. Until now, Peace House Shelter has successfully facilitated the safe and sustainable reintegration of all victims, contributing to the synchronous and complete implementation of the provisions of law in the prevention and combat of domestic violence and human trafficking. After 14 years of operation, Peace House Shelter has welcomed and aided 1,444 victims coming from 55 provinces/ cities and 17 ethnic minority areas[1].
Visitors knocking on Peace House Shelter’s door often suffer from serious psychological impacts of long-term abuse. Therefore, 100% of victims are provided with psychosocial counseling (16 visits/person on average), followed by legal support services (7 visits/person on average) to ensure the rights of child-rearing and property division, empowerment activities through the provision of life skills. Necessary skills to prevent and combat gender-based violence are provided on a regular basis (4 times/person on average). More than 90% of children are promptly supported to attend school without interruption (except in cases where schools are unsafe for children). 70% of unemployed women have been trained and offered job opportunities that fit their own abilities and circumstances.
Given that the social work profession in Vietnam is still underdeveloped, victim support services are not yet available, and financial resources is limited, to be able to provide comprehensive services to victims, CWD has achieved many innovations and creations in implementation as follows:
- CWD has coordinated across sectors with local authorities, mass organizations, and departments to resolve family cases and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of women and children. In order to ensure the safety of 100% cases at Peace House Shelter (including both women & children) and take measures to deter the perpetrators of violence, CWD has sent documents and worked directly with local authorities, police, Women's Unions at all levels, and leaders of residential groups. Moreover, this close coordination helps promote the commitment of local agencies and mass organizations in the process of dealing with domestic violence cases. In particular, Peace House Shelter closely cooperates with the police (113) and local authorities in the process of supporting victims in case of emergency (victims are threatened, imprisoned...). This is a very distinct point of Peace House compared to other support facilities, with the aim of ensuring the safe and sustainable return of the victims to the local area.
- CWD has built a network of high-quality and reputable aid units[2]; which aims to provide legal advice and support to victims; coordinated with central and specialized hospitals to provide physical and mental health care for women and children[3]; connected with schools, vocational training centers to provide cultural learning and vocational training services to victims, ensuring a continuous learning process, vocational training counseling, job-seeking support, and a sustainable reintegration process; closely coordinated with the National Center for Child Protection (111) to transfer, provide psychotherapy, ensure safety and find support resources for local children.
- Initially, the shelter consisted of 02 components, Peace House Shelter and Counseling room[4], using 03 mobile phone numbers to connect with clients. In order to improve operational efficiency, CWD has renovated, gradually operating the Women's Support Call Center 1900969680 (replacing mobile numbers) to ensure that it receives many calls at a time and is ready to provide 24/7 support. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Call Center not only received calls about gender equality and domestic violence prevention, but also supported women with counseling to relieve stress, prevent the epidemic and improve awareness of the Government's policies in response to the pandemic.
- Together with the Call Center, CWD also developed a management software to collect information and data on cases, thereby providing statistics for situational assessment and policy advice on women and children.
With the results of supporting victims over the past 14 years, Peace House Shelter is the practical evidence of the protection of human rights in Vietnam. CWD has welcomed many international delegations of the Central Committee of the Association and the Government. Moreover, the press and media regularly contact Peace House Shelter to acquire information about typical cases for behavior change communication activities. In addition, Peace House Shelter has become a reputable location for social work research and practice.
Compared with existing models, Peace House Shelter's services possess a general approach, stemming from the actual needs of residents, helping them to gain enough physical and mental strength, as well as necessary skills in preventing domestic violence and rebuilding a new life independently and confidently. 90% of returnees reported that they were satisfied with Peace House Shelter 's services.
“To me, Peace House is truly the light at the end of the tunnel. They helped me to retrieve my true self and dignity, while opening up a whole new chapter of my life. That is the life I will live for myself and for my beloved ones, a life I can be me again…”
(Sharing from case 1017K/3/21, September 25, 2021)
With the aim of enhancing the efficiency of Peace House Shelter’s operation and the supporting activities for women and children experiencing gender-based violence, the Center would like to make the following recommendations:
- Proceed to review, amend, supplement and complete the legal system on gender equality, prevention and control of violence against women and children, to focus on building an interdisciplinary coordination mechanism to support victims, ensuring gender-sensitive and friendly factors. Formulate appropriate support policies for victims while responding to urgent and sustainable factors. Supplement specific regulations on safety assurance, protection for informants, prevention and protection of victims, support facilities for victims, etc.
- Strengthen propaganda to raise awareness of women and people regarding gender equality, prevention and combat of gender-based violence. Allow the community to speak up to ensure the safety of women and children.
- Elevate competencies of Women's Union staff at all levels, particularly in handling and responding to cases of gender-based violence against women in the community.
- Pay attention to support resources to maintain and expand the Peace House Shelter throughout the country, to upgrade the shelter to a National Switchboard to support women.
[1] Data collected until the end of December 2021
[2] CWD has signed a cooperation agreement with the Legal Counseling Center - Vietnam Bar Federation and built a network of high-quality and reputable legal aid units (Legal Aid Department, Legal Aid Association for the Poor, Law Office and Legal Aid Center)
[3] Signing a cooperation agreement with the National Children's Hospital, in collaboration with Hospital 354, National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saint Paul Hospital...
[4] The Counseling Department provides consulting services on issues of protecting women's rights, children's rights, organizing marriage and family life, and preventing violence against women and children; life skills; Connecting legal, medical, career counseling, etc, which is located at the Center - a place to receive, screen and transfer victims to Peace House.
